Aethernum

You ever think that, perhaps, that attitude is part of the reason we come out flat? The other guys get paid, too. You can't overlook anyone in this league.

OK.

Fortunately, we have a lot of coaches on this forum who seem to be available. We generated more and better chances tonight than they did. It was two mistakes that killed us, but I'm certainly not panicking after a more complete game than they'd had in a while, especially down as many bodies as we are. Horrible call there at the end, really killed any last minute momentum we could have generated. Very unfortunate.

OK.

I don't know that Howard doesn't play the puck well. He just doesn't play the puck often. You're right that Mrazek plays the puck better, though. But my point was less concerned with what that specific mistake was (i.e. - a mishandled puck) than what the response in this space would have been if Howard made a mistake that bad. Whether it was a mishandle or what. I have a feeling we'd be far less forgiving. I hate penalties that carry over the intermission. Rough call.

There it is. Good to see Mrazek not fazed by the mistake, too.

Wonder what the reaction would be if Howard made a mistake like that. Not criticizing Mrazek. Just saying. We're out playing them. I expect a tie before the period is over.

Wow, what a difference it made when we fired everyone during the second intermission, right?

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”; If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run— Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son! -Rudyard Kipling ----- In the last 10 years, when the Red Wings have gone on a losing streak of 4+ games, they have averaged 13.5333 points in the following 10 games. That includes instances where one 4+ game losing streak was followed by a win and another 4+ game losing streak. Treating those instances as combined long losing streaks would give them an average of over 14 points in the following 10 games. They have only needed to average 1.29 points per game in order to make the playoffs in the salary cap era, which they have done every single year. You have to be willing to lose in order to truly appreciate victory. Coaches get paid the money that they do to achieve the perspective to take the good with the bad, make appropriate adjustments, and not overreact to the natural ups and downs of a team. That said, it would be nice if the fans could aspire to that same perspective. We are without our best player. We are under a new coach. We are, on average, young. We are seven games into the season. The sky is not falling. R-E-L-A-X.

You missed the point, didn't you?

I have a feeling that you didn't play hockey much as a kid. Hockey isn't a game where the better team wins. Hockey is a game where both teams generate chances, and sometimes those chances pan out for the better team, and sometimes they don't. It has nothing to do with who is a better team, and the type of FULL CONSISTENCY that you want doesn't exist. We were one shot away from winning tonight. The other team made it. We didn't. I really feel bad for you.

Not to mention fatigue down the line.

I'm sure we were, but Calgary is a team with the pieces to get into the playoffs, and they were 1-5, at home (with some favorable referees...) and they got outstanding goaltending at crunch time. It's hard to beat that.

The doom-and-gloom in this space is really upsetting, especially given that it's coming from the people who, you would think, should be the most dedicated Detroit fans. If you overlooked this Calgary team, that's on you. Nobody should have thought this would be an easy win, because they came out hungry. Playing down a defenseman, we got gassed and someone on their side made a play when it counted. It happens sometimes. Blashill isn't on the hot seat, this team isn't going to miss the playoffs, and the sky isn't falling. If you aren't willing to lose, you can't really enjoy it when you win, and people on this board don't seem to appreciate that. I feel bad for them.

This is a very hungry 1-5 team. Don't underestimate them, or disparage the work they're doing. They look good tonight, and so do we. Edit - Even if we don't pull this game out, this new OT format is already better for us than the shootout. And it's fun as hell to watch. Love it.

It's unfair to say he needed to put in extra work in order to return to form. This is exactly what Howard looked like last year. He played at an All-Star level, and then he got hurt. Is he facing competition that will probably make him better? Sure. Does he need that motivation to be an elite goaltender? No. He has been for most of his career, when he wasn't in a goaltending battle.

In a game where we got outshot at a 2:1 ratio, if you think goaltending was our problem I don't know what to say to you. You want a mathematical consistency that just doesn't exist. This OT should be fun. I wish we didn't have to go there, but that's what we get for playing in our zone for most of the last 30 minutes.

A majority of the people in the last few GDTs have said it. Mrazek bails us out and Howard can't make the big stops when the defense lets him down, or some iteration thereof. It's not an uncommon complaint. And how quickly we forget, this is exactly what Howard looked like last year before the injury. Motivation is not an issue for him, and it's unfair to say such.

Smith made a great play keeping Giordano out right there. And anyone saying Howard doesn't make big-time saves is fooling themselves. He's a top-tier #1 goalie in the NHL, and tonight shows it. Physical play from Quincey and Smith aside, we're still leaving him to bail us out, and he has delivered.

That's just deliberately over the top hysterics. We beat Tampa in a game where we were physical, won the turnover battle, and kept the shots just about even. Tampa. The consensus Cup favorites. With the exception of the first period at Carolina, all of our wins were earned with solid, consistent hockey. And even in the losses there have been plenty of positives to draw from. Don't disparage the team just because you've become too emotionally attached.

Hall giving up the turnover because he was so desperate to get an EN leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That said, we dominated the face off circle and won the shots on goal (admittedly part of that was due to garbage time, but I'll take it). This team looked really, really good after three games and I don't doubt they still have that in them. And that's before Datsyuk comes back. Disappointing loss, but the foundation is there for this team to be a contender. Just have to be more aggressive with our chances and play mistake-free defense.

You can't miss the net on a breakaway. You just can't. The team hasn't looked nearly as bad tonight as some people here would leaf you to believe. But failing to cash in on their chances has sunk this team tonight.

Yup, tonight's broadcast just confirmed.

Let's just say the 32-18 shot count (against the Wings) makes it seem too even. Our guys are slow tonight.

I hate it when our goalie doesn't make plays he should never have to make.